The Weird Calm Before the Big Storm

The legislature is almost finished with what we view as the “start-up” phase of the session. Committees have been appointed, bill filing is accelerating (we are averaging about 140 bills a day this week), and staff is preparing to dive into the heart of the legislative process as committee hearings get underway. Regular dates and room assignments for committees have been determined:

• House Higher Education- Mondays, 10:00 AM, Room E2.010
• Senate Education-Tuesdays, Thursdays (if needed), 9:00 AM, Room E1.028
• Senate Education, Subcommittee on Higher Education- Wednesdays, 9:00 AM, Room E1.028

As of this writing, the higher education committees have not posted bills or meetings. That said, we can expect organizational meetings in the next two weeks, followed immediately by meetings with bills on the agendas.

We are also waiting for the filings of Senate Bills 16, 17, and 18 for CRT, DEI, and tenure. Though Lieutenant Governor Patrick has reserved those numbers, the bills themselves are not yet available.

What You Can Do

• Spend this final week without bills communicating with your peers about engagement and membership- the more members we have, the more effective our voice in the legislature
• Consider adjusting schedules now for some flexibility on the committee days listed above. We have no way of knowing when specific bills will be scheduled, but some flexibility on Mondays and Tuesdays would give members a chance to show up and be heard at the capitol.
• Rest up- when the committees kick off in the next few days, it will be a pure 90 day sprint to the Memorial Day finish!

Make your plans today to visit, in person, with TCCTA Lobbyist, Beaman Floyd, on these issues and more, Friday, March 3rd at the 76th Annual Convention at the Westin Galleria in Houston, Texas.